via Getty
SHANGHAI, CHINA – JULY 24: Michael Phelps of the United States looks dejected after the the Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay final during Day Nine of the 14th FINA World Championships at the Oriental Sports Center on July 24, 2011 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
via Getty
SHANGHAI, CHINA – JULY 24: Michael Phelps of the United States looks dejected after the the Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay final during Day Nine of the 14th FINA World Championships at the Oriental Sports Center on July 24, 2011 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Swimming and Michael Phelps have become analogous to one another over the years. With 23 Olympic gold medals, the athlete ruled over the swimming world for over 12 years. At 7, little Phelps’s interest grew in swimming, and he finally entered the competitive world at 11. Along with talent and skills, his persona too goes well with the sport. Besides that, his well-knit physique is what leaves fans in awe.
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Despite being in the sports world for so long, Michael Phelps never got a chance to meet the track and field G.O.A.T Usain Bolt. Finally, at the 2017 Laureus World Sports Awards, the two legendary Olympians exchanged a ‘hi’.
When Michael Phelps met Usain Bolt for the first time
It was only after Michael Phelps took retirement that he met Usain Bolt. 12 years in the same industry, yet they never met before 2017. Yes, that’s true. Both the athletes had immense responsibilities on their shoulders to carry.
Competing at the highest level comes with pressure, expectations, and sometimes disappointments. Besides that, their schedules didn’t coincide, which Phelps stated was the biggest reason they could not meet.
2017 Laureus World Sports Awards turned out to be the perfect chance for their first meet-up. The swimmer received the Comeback of the Year award, and the sprinter won the Best Male Athlete Award.
“Obviously, it’s cool watching somebody like him and watching what he does,” said butterfly king Michael Phelps in an interview. “Then you see him up close and personal. His legs are massive. He looks like a horse. So tall.”
Alongside appreciating his strong muscular legs, Phelps also said that they joked about their first meeting. Notably, they first met at the airport and then the next night at the award show. That was the first time they met despite competing in three Olympics together.
Usain Bolt’s opinion about Phelps
During an interview, Usain Bolt once played the game Heads Up in 2014. The interviewee, when asked about Michael Phelps, he said, “It’s just outstanding, what he does”.
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via Imago
Michael Phelps from the United States of America kisses his medal during the awarding ceremony of the swimming final of men’s 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Aug. 7, 2016. The United States won the gold medal with 3 minutes 9.92 seconds./ CHINA OUT
Furthermore, the track and field star respects Phelps for all the hard work he’s put in.
“Somebody to go out and win eight gold medals, that’s no joke. It’s nothing but respect,” added Bolt.
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Watch This Story: Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Simone Biles, and other Olympic stars’ meanings on Urban Dictionary
The Baltimore Bullet bagged his first Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Since then, he kept raising the bar every time he entered the pool. Phelps is now considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, given his long list of achievements.
